YA Contempapalooza Summer 2014

Ahh, what a glorious time it is for lovers of contemporary YA (like this girl right here)!  I don’t like to play favorites or anything, but I think I’ve made it pretty dang clear over the course of my reviews that these kind of books are my kind of books.  I’ve read three dazzling examples of YA contemp over the past few weeks, and so if you find yourself craving a story about conflict and romance and finding one’s self, then pull up a chair and read on.

Open Road Summer 

by Emery Lord

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Publisher: Walker

Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Oh, good Lord (haha, puns!), this book is fantastic.  I mean, I was expecting to like it, since I’d heard from people I trust that it was a Jessica sort of book, but I couldn’t put it down.  Literally.  I devoured this in one afternoon, essentially one sitting.  It’s like reading a book about Fake Taylor Swift’s best friend who falls for with a Fake Jonas Brother while he’s pretending to be FTS’s boyfriend during her sad and somewhat scandalous break-up.  Reagan’s voice is snark-tacular and real, and she is quite the loyal bestie.  Plus, Matt Finch is the type of guy you hope all your own teen heartthrobs are actually like in real life.  There are so many great lines in this book, but one in particular about living life in the moment really hit me where it counts.  I’m all about this and Emery Lord forever.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before 

by Jenny Han

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Maybe it’s because we’re from the same hometown (rva girls forever!), but Jenny Han knows how to craft a story that pulls me in from the title and keeps me in until the last page.  Like Lara Jean, I too used to write unsent notes to my crushes, and I would die a million mortifying deaths if they were ever sent (note to self: BURN ALL OLD LETTERS next time you’re at your parents’ house).  What I also adore about this delightfully written book is that, despite the title, the romance isn’t the central portion of the plot.  It’s less about the discovery of love and more about Lara Jean’s discovery of her own identity outside of Middle Song Sister.  I could read about the Song Sisters forever, especially because Jenny’s words, you guys? They are sah good.

What I Thought Was True 

by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Release Date: April 15, 2013

Publisher: Dial BFYR

Buy: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

I’ve been looking forward to Huntley’s next novel since the moment I finished My Life Next Door, and oh, Huntley doesn’t disappoint.  Another complicated girl, another almost-too-perfect-to-be-real boy—and that’s where the similarities cease.  Gwen is constantly battling between building enormous walls around herself and wearing her heart on her sleeve, and she spends the entire book fighting between which one to do for which person.  Also, I don’t know exactly how to say this unawkwardly, but Huntley Fitzpatrick is kind of the queen of discussing and handling teen sex in a realistic manner.  Seriously. There are twists and turns here that I thought I saw coming, but it kept turning when I expected twisting.  My only complaint is that now I have to wait for whatever Huntley writes next.

So, what are you reading this summer?  Are you gobbling up contemps like Cadbury Mini-Eggs like I am?